Scholarship

My research agenda has continued to focus on one main trajectory: quality teacher education. Although my trajectory has allowed me to conduct interdisciplinary research related to various aspects of teacher preparation, my main interest lies in educational technology. The groundwork for my research in educational technology developed from continuously utilizing existing and emerging technologies to enhance my own pedagogical practices, as well as observing the benefits technology had to offer my students. Educational technology playing a fundamental role in my research agenda was further solidified after receiving the Glen Earthman Dissertation of the Year Award in 2020 from the International Society of Educational Planners (ISEP) for the instrument I developed during my dissertation, the Teacher Preparation Technology Inventory (TPTI). I was able to present my instrument at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and publish it in the Journal of Technology and Teacher Preparation (JTATE), which is the official journal of the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) and top ranked journal for teacher education and technology. To date, I have also provided six individuals from around the world copyright permission to use my developed instrument, TPTI. Most recently, I was the recipient of the Journal of Research in Technology in Education Reviewer of the Year in 2023.

I am actively engaged in research and qualified through CITI Program Certification to conduct ethical research with human participants. I have published ten articles and one book chapter, and have Google Scholar Metrics that indicate I have been cited over 95 times in the field. Additionally, I currently have three accepted articles and two accepted book chapters yet to be published. My publication journey began with a publication alongside a peer and NU professor, Dr. Paul Vermette. This past year, I was able to publish one solo-authored article that was solicited from a conference presentation I gave at SITE, connect with a colleague from Bridgewater College in Virginia, Dr. Jennie Carr, to publish an article on our related methods course work. Most recently, I have been working alongside colleagues from Virgina, California, and Saudi Arabia to publish work related to technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In addition to collaborating with colleagues from outside NU, I recently had the pleasure of collaborating with an NU colleague, Dr. Kathleen McGrath, and an NU alum, Dr. Rosina Mete, on an article related to teacher perceptions of OCD. We currently have an article accepted to the AILACTE Journal for their themed issue on the Intersection of Neuroscience and Education.

As evidence by my Curriculum Vita, I am an active participant in the research community. Since 2012, I have presented at 33 regional, national, and international conferences and have been an invited presenter at 18 various events. This past year was a busy conference year, participating virtually in some while traveling to Indianapolis, IN, Jacksonville, FL, Washington D.C., and Saratoga Springs, NY for others. I was grateful to not only attend, but present at conferences I have found to be beneficial in the past, including the Association for Teacher Educators (ATE), the Association for Independent Liberal Arts Colleges for Teacher Education (AILACTE), the International Society of Educational Planners (ISEP), the New York State Association of Teacher Educators – New York Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (NYSATE-NYACTE), and the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE). These conferences, all focused on teacher education, not only permitted me to share my own research and initiatives but provided an avenue for my own development as well. I was able to learn about artificial intelligence at the NYSATE-NYACTE conference and used that knowledge to enhance my courses. At the ISEP conference, I was able participate in discussions on increasing teacher leadership which led to submitting an IRB and beginning research with a colleague from Virginia Tech. Additionally, at the ISEP conference I was able to make professional connections with colleagues from Ireland, Turkey, South Africa, and Saudi Arabia to discuss educational change and AI at a global level. I look forward to upcoming conferences in 2024, having already been accepted to AILACTE in Denver, CO and ATE in Anaheim, CA.

Given my research agenda focused on quality teacher education, and further interest in educational technology, I am mindful of the organizations I join and the purpose(s) the serve in my role as a teacher educator. My current professional memberships include: AECT, AREA, AILACTE, ATE, ISEP, ISTE, NAEYC, NYSATE, and NYSCATE. I look to my professional memberships and the interest groups within these organizations to continue to grow professionally. This past year I was able to attend (and share with my students) several professional development opportunities offered by these organizations, addressing timely topics such as APA formatting changes, Apptegy training, ViewSonic Training, A-STEM workshop, Generative AI discussion, AI + Project Based Learning webinar, How to use ChatGPT: Time-Saving Secrets for Busy Teachers webinar, and a webinar on the Multi-Subject CST. I also look to my professional memberships to promote technology preparation within teacher education, which is why I joined the AREA SIG related to instructional technology this year and received recognition on their social media and in their newsletter last year. I look forward to continuing conference presentations and publications related to the growing, timely, and ever-changing topic of educational technology, while continuing to contribute in whatever way possible to the overall knowledge base related to quality teacher education.

In addition to publications and conference presentations, this past year I received an internal Strategic Initiative Grant from the Provost’s Office for the development of the Online Teaching Studio (OTS), was included on a NOYCE Task 1National Science Foundation (NSF) grant submission, and was co-Principal Investigator on a NOYCE capacity building National Science Foundation (NSF) grant submission. The internal grant was focused on providing a repository of existing and emerging educational technologies and resources to promote active and integrative learning on the University’s campus and was funded for a total of $5,000. The external grants focus on building up the University’s capacity to offer STEM programs ($100,000) as well as providing scholarships for STEM programs (1.2 million). The decisions related to these external grants are expected in 2024. Additional internal grants include receiving a summer research award in the amount of $5,200 to support my research related to examining the use of online formative assessment to address concerns related to artificial intelligence, as well as a mini grant in the amount of $400 to support the work of the Teacher Education Academic Content (TEAC) committee, of which I am the co-chair.